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University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Nelson Signs Generation Adidas Deal, Enters 2019 MLS Draft
January 4, 2019 | Men's Soccer
Chapel Hill -- North Carolina sophomore defender John Nelson has signed a Generation adidas contract with Major League Soccer and is now eligible for selection in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft held in Chicago on Jan. 11. Generation adidas is a joint program between MLS and adidas in which a handful of the top collegiate underclassmen and select youth national team players are signed to MLS contracts and made available in the SuperDraft. Generation adidas players do not count against an MLS team's salary budget.
The No. 1 overall selection the MLS SuperDraft each year dating back to 2003 has been a Generation adidas class member as Nelson joins names such as Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Darlington Nagbe and Cyle Larin to be named to the Generation adidas program.
A native of Medina, Ohio, Nelson was named a second-team All-ACC member during his sophomore campaign where he started all 19 games and recorded two assists while helping lead the Tar Heels to one of the best defenses in the country. The former U.S. Under-17 World Cup player was also named to the All-ACC Freshman team in 2017. Nelson started in all 41 games during his two seasons in Chapel Hill while winning two ACC Coastal Division titles and making one appearance in the NCAA Men's College Cup in 2017.
The No. 1 overall selection the MLS SuperDraft each year dating back to 2003 has been a Generation adidas class member as Nelson joins names such as Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Darlington Nagbe and Cyle Larin to be named to the Generation adidas program.
A native of Medina, Ohio, Nelson was named a second-team All-ACC member during his sophomore campaign where he started all 19 games and recorded two assists while helping lead the Tar Heels to one of the best defenses in the country. The former U.S. Under-17 World Cup player was also named to the All-ACC Freshman team in 2017. Nelson started in all 41 games during his two seasons in Chapel Hill while winning two ACC Coastal Division titles and making one appearance in the NCAA Men's College Cup in 2017.
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